Golden Eagle student-athletes team up with Jere Whitson Elementary School in canned food drive

Nov 15, 2009

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee Tech student-athletes and Jere
Whitson Elementary School teamed up to benefit the Student-Athlete
Advisory Committee's annual canned food drive, as Jere Whitson
students donated 700 cans of food to the drive which will count
towards Tech's total in the OVC competition. The Ohio Valley
Conference school that donates the most cans will be recognized by
the league.

The elementary school held a two-week competition between each of
its classes, with the fourth grade class winding up victorious.
Their prize? A game of kickball with the Golden Eagle soccer
team.

The cans, along with the thousands of other cans collected by
Tennessee Tech student-athletes, will be donated to various food
banks in the Cookeville area. Meanwhile, Jere Whitson students
learned the importance of giving back to those in need.

"We work on character each day," said Jere Whitson principal Dr.
Teri Anderson. "We talk about what it means to be responsible,
respectful, trustworthy, caring and fair. The students work toward
the goal of being people of character."

The canned food drive was the fourth community service project that
Jere Whitson Elementary has been involved this fall alone. The
school has also been involved in fund raising for the Children's
Museum, stuffed animals for Make a Difference Day and Christmas
Child Boxes for Samaritan's Purse. The school is now writing cards
for soldiers.

"We feel that we have been so fortunate that we need to give back,"
Anderson said.

Tech also received 1,000 cans which were donated from the Exercise
Science and Physical Wellness department, and will count towards
Tech's total. Each OVC school will report its total number of cans
donated to the league offices in early December.